With some branches of my family tree I have been fortunate to possess or been able to borrow some "family" papers
to help set me on the right path. But with my Heaton ancestry I started, as many researcher do, with very little. I had a copy
of my grandfather Alfred's birth, marriage, and death certificates, and a copy of a death certificate,
dated 1940, for a lady called Emily Heaton, my great, great, aunt.
An old Heaton family bible had apparently existed with a family tree "going back 200 years" but had been last seen in the 1930's,
and was believed along with an "old" family photograph album to have been thrown out in
the 1970's. So all the research below has been done from certificates and census records with
I may add the invaluable assistance of Ron Smith of Deane, Bolton, Lancashire.
Since I started researching my Heaton's in the 1980's the bible has remained lost , but a few loose photographs have
surfaced allowing me to put faces some names (although sadly not the full family photograph album).
I begin my Heaton Link's with my grandfather, Alfred Heaton (see photograph).
He was the eldest of three boys,the sons of Richard and Annie Heaton nee Drew.
He was born 21st August 1885 at 1 Greenhill, Prestwich, Lancashire.
He married my grandmother Jeannie MacCormack the 8th August 1915
at Prestwich Parish Church (More details on my MacCormack links are available here). I only just remember my grandfather Alfred as he died
20th December 1967 at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe and was buried
13th February 1968 at Brooklands Cemetery Sale.
Alfred Heaton's occupation was stated as a Secretary when married. Sometime
later he was Managing Director of a business called Rutland Securities. Although he
was born in Prestwich , by 1891 he was living at 27 Fog Lane Didsbury, Withington,
Lancashire.Later he is believed to have moved to Disley near Glossop in Derbyshire,
and then after he married moving to Sale in Cheshire and later "Glenridding" in
St Lawrence, on the Isle of Wight.
Alfred's three brothers were Arthur Heaton, Herbert Heaton and Harold Heaton.Firstly Arthur Heaton, he was born
the 14th January 1888 at 1 Dickinson Terrace, Prestwich. He had at least two children, sons Arthur Heaton and
Ronald Heaton so far untraced. Arthur died young on 28th Sep 1924 and was buried at Southern Cemetery Manchester.
Secondly Herbert Heaton, he was born 13th March 1890 in Prestwich. He had three children Ruth Heaton who moved to
the United States, William Spensley Heaton and Joan Heaton. After the death of his wife he moved to Chicago,
but returned and died 30th March 1977 at Withington Hospital, Manchester.Finally Harold Heaton he was born 1st March 1894
at 2,Lime Grove, Didsbury.He became a Journalist, married and had one daughter Marjorie Heaton.
Stepping back one generation to Richard Heaton my great grandfather. He was born 14th November 1851 at
Morris Mill, Pilsworth, Bury, Lancashire the son of Richard and Eliza Heaton nee Burniston. From census records I know of three sisters Emily Heaton (see photograph below).
Emily was born 29th August 1853
at Morris Mill, Pilsworth, Bury ; Margaret Heaton born c1858 Whitefield Lancashire (source 1881 census) and Ann Heaton also born Whitefield,
Lancashire c1859 (source 1881 Census) all daughters of Richard and Eliza.
Richard Heaton married my Great Grandmother, Annie Drew, on the
29th November 1884 at Chorlton Register Office. He occupation is that of Bleachers Townsman or Commercial Traveller. And in 1894,
in Slaters Manchester Directory he appears as a traveller of 2, Lime Grove, Didsbury.
In the 1891 Census (RG 12/3161 Folio 35) the family appears as follows
|
27 Fog lane, Heath Place,Didsbury Parish, Withington District |
| Name and Surname |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Employed |
Where Born |
| Richard Heaton |
Head |
Married |
39 |
Bleachers Townsman |
X |
Lancashire Pilsworth |
| Annie Heaton |
Wife |
Married |
28 |
|
|
Chester Nantwich |
| Alfred Heaton |
Son |
Single |
5 |
Scholar |
|
Lancashire Prestwich |
| Arthur Heaton |
Son |
Single |
3 |
Scholar |
|
Lancashire Prestwich |
| Herbert Heaton |
Son |
Single |
1 |
|
|
Lancashire Prestwich |
And just a couple of households up the road also in the 1891 Census (RG 12/3161 Folio 35) are recorded
Richard Heaton's three sisters and his mother Eliza Heaton nee Burniston.
|
24 Fog lane, Heath Place,Didsbury Parish, Withington District |
| Name and Surname |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Employed |
Where Born |
| Eliza Heaton |
Head |
Widow |
68 |
......ing Fixer |
X |
Yorkshire Knaresboro |
| Emily Heaton |
Daughter |
Single |
37 |
....... Machinist |
|
Lancashire Pilsworth |
| Margaret Heaton |
Daughter |
Single |
34 |
....... Machinist |
|
Lancashire Whitefield |
| Annie Heaton |
Daughter |
Single |
31 |
Seamstress |
|
Lancashire Whitefield |
Richard Heaton (my great grandfather) died 28th July 1903 at Rusholme, Chorlton, Manchester
and was buried in Southern Cemetery (see headstone), Manchester. His sister Emily Heaton died 18th November 1940 at
20, Nell Lane, Withington.
Below are three Heaton surname distribution maps from the 1881 Census (the darker the colour and greater the density of the surname per 100,000 of population). From left to right the Heaton surname occurance across England, Scotland, Wales. The left hand map highlights the importance of Lancashire and Yorkshire. While the last map (below)spotlights Chorley, Wigan, and Keighley as the Poor Law Unions with the greatest population of inhabitants with the Heaton surname - so it is no surprise then that my research leads me back close to one of these - in my case Bolton, Lancashire.
Stepping back to the next generation, my great, great grandfather Richard Heaton was baptised 7th July 1818 at Bolton le Moor Parish Church,
Bolton, Lancashire the son of Isaac and Ann Heaton nee Ridyard.
He married on the 3rd November 1850 Eliza Burniston, at Knaresborough Parish Church, Yorkshire. By the 1851 Census Richard and Eliza
were living at Morris Mill,Pilsworth St Mary's near Bury Lancashire. Richard aged 32 is the Townsman for Bleachworks (born Bolton Lancashire). Thirty years later
in the 1881 Census Richard (now aged 62), his wife Eliza and their three daughters Emily, Margaret and Ann are living at 6, Walter Street, Withington. Richard's occupation
remains that of Bleachers Townsman. Richard Heaton died 4th January 1890 at, 6, Walter Street, Fallowfield. He is buried with his wife, and possibly Emily Heaton, at St.James the Apostle, Rusholme.
I believe Richard Heaton
had at least three sisters: Selina, Alice and Mary. Alice Heaton was baptised 14th February 1813
at St Peter,Bolton le Moor and may be Alice Heaton of Sharples buried at St Peter's aged 15 on 28th May 1829.
Mary Heaton daughter of Isaac Heaton was buried 26th March 1816 at St Peter's Bolton le Moor.Richard's third "sister" Selina Heaton
was baptised 10th April 1814 at Bolton le Moor, St Peter. On 6th September 1848 at Hill Mill, Halliwell, Bolton , Selina gave birth to
a daughter Alice Heaton who was baptised at St Pauls, Astley Bridge again on the 6th September 1848.
Its always a huge confidence boost to receive confirmation that research conducted is "accurate". I therefore count myself
very fortunate, while researching in Bolton Archive to have come across a letter written to Emily Heaton from
John Heaton Partington dated 24th January 1905 who was in the process of writing a "History of the Heaton family".
She replied to his enquiry (see link) with a very short, undated letter from her address (per the 1901 census above) at Heath Place, Fog Lane, Disbury "My father was Richard Heaton, son of Isaac Heaton of Sharples, who died March 1st 1873
in his 83 year, and was interred at St Pauls Church, Astley Bridge. My father had no brothers, but my Grandfather had several."
Isaac Heaton was baptised 25th December 1790 at St Peter, Bolton le Moor, the son of James and Alice Heaton nee Brindle.
On 18th November 1812 at St Peter he married Ann Ridyard at which time he is described as a Weaver.
Thanks to Ron Smith, I've been able to trace Isaac (and family) in two Census's as follows:
|
1851 Census - 300 Hill,St Pauls Halliwell, Bolton le Moor |
| Name and Surname |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Where Born |
| Isaac Heaton |
Head |
Married |
59 |
Watchman |
Halliwell |
| Ann Heaton |
Wife |
Married |
65 |
|
Halliwell |
| Selina Heaton |
Daughter |
Unmarried |
35 |
Tuber |
Sharples |
| Alice Heaton |
Daughter[!] |
Unmarried |
2 |
|
Halliwell |
|
1871 Census - 5, Park Road,Astley Bridge, Sharples,Bolton (Schedule 169) |
| Name and Surname |
Relation to Head of Family |
Condition |
Age last birthday |
Profession or Occupation |
Where Born |
| Isaac Heaton |
Head |
Married |
80 |
Retired Watchman |
Astley Bridge, Lancs |
| Alice Heaton |
Granddau |
Unmarried |
22 |
Cotton Weaver |
Halliwell, Lancs |
| Ann Jane Greenhalgh |
Border |
|
32 |
Woolen Reeler |
Bolton, Lancs |
Isaac Heaton died 1st March 1873 at Old Road, Sharples, Bolton and was buried
6th March 1873 at St Pauls,Astley Bridge, Bolton.
There is still considerable work to do on Isaac Heatons' ancestry. His father James Heaton
married Alice Brindle at St Peters Church Bolton le Moor on 4th November 1777. James
and Alice had seven other childen besides Isaac: John Heaton baptised at Deane
8th October 1778; James Heaton baptised at Deane 26th November 1780; Thomas Heaton baptised at Deane
7th June 1783; Ann Heaton baptised at Deane 22nd February 1786; William Heaton baptised at Deane 15th March 1788;
Mary Heaton baptised 1793 and Richard Heaton baptised 1796.